The rejection of a popular visiting faculty member for a tenured appointment is drawing harsh criticism from some students, as well as the threat of a lawsuit from the professor's lawyer.
Twenty-three students have signed a petition calling for the permanent hire of Stephen Sheehi, a visiting assistant professor of the practice of Asian and African languages and literature who came to Duke in fall 2000. When a search began this year to fill an associate professorship, Sheehi applied for the opening. He received an initial positive recommendation from the search committee, but after a series of events, that recommendation was reversed, causing some students to question Duke's commitment to teaching and whether Sheehi received due process.
University administrators contend the process was fair and the appointment decision was made in compliance with departmental and search committee wishes. Several students met with top academic administrators Tuesday to discuss the search and are scheduled to meet with President Nan Keohane Wednesday. At least a dozen students have dropped the Arabic 63 course that Sheehi would have taught next fall.
"He's a very striking personality. He's very passionate about teaching and about everything he does," said sophomore Abbie Langston, citing a perfect score of 5.0 on course evaluations from Arabic 63 students last semester.
Unless the University reverses its decision, Sheehi said he will leave Duke when his contract expires this summer.
"I'm hoping that things can be resolved without litigation. I like being at Duke, so hopefully things can be resolved amicably," Sheehi said.
Administrators said Tuesday, however, that the situation is a direct result of AALL chair Miriam Cooke's negative recommendation letter, which William Chafe, dean of the faculty of arts and sciences, said the search committee approved.
Committee chair Tomiko Yoda, assistant professor of AALL, said she did not recall the committee reviewing a letter from Cooke.
"We had originally recommended Professor Sheehi for the position, and my understanding is that the committee's role ended there," Yoda said. "For my part, I know what the committee has done, and we have not made another recommendation one way or another."
Yoda would not elaborate on the committee's work, citing ongoing negotiations between the Office of University Counsel and Sheehi's lawyer. Cooke declined to comment, also citing legal negotiations.
Students described the process as seemingly arbitrary.
"I don't know if there are other professors at Duke whose jobs could be in jeopardy at the whim of their superiors," said sophomore Rakan Aldukheil.
Chafe said the University would not conduct any further investigation, as Sheehi's lawyer has requested.
"I don't know that there would be any other evidence other than what we have seen in the letter," Chafe said. "If you were to question every recommendation, you'd spend all of your time on investigations."
Sheehi and his lawyer attributed much of the confusion to what they call a verbal offer for the position by Cooke Feb. 25--Chafe called the alleged offer a case of "he said, she said"--and to an alleged personal disagreement between the two. The disagreement was over a communication from Sheehi to a family member that Cooke intercepted, said Sheehi's lawyer, Patricia Cameron. Chafe said personal feelings had nothing to do with the recommendation.
Cameron, also Sheehi's mother, said the University did not properly inform Sheehi of his status. She added that she would file a lawsuit if no action was taken by next week.
"Basically they didn't follow their own protocol," she said. "There was no notice that anything was adverse, that his performance was sub-par, that he was not qualified for the contract."
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